How to Help Your Aging Parents

Are you among the growing number of Americans who count themselves reluctant members of Generation S? The "S" stands for sandwich, and to qualify you must be feeling sandwiched between the financial demands of raising children and the growing financial needs of your aging parents -- to say nothing of your own financial needs. "Squeezed" might be a better word for it.

Aging parents are often the first to notice that they could use some help tending to their finances. Sometimes their children notice the telltale signs: bills that go unpaid, confusion about financial and other matters where there used to be alertness, growing anxiety about medical and other expenses.

You may have to act like a detective to get to the bottom of the problem and gather the information you need to help them. Where to begin? Start with the basics.